THE HEALING WORD
Ps. 107:20
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: HALF MEASURES
1. Bent over and obviously in pain, an old man with a cane hobbled through the sanctuary and into the pastor’s office while the choir practiced. Ten minutes later he came out, walking upright and moving gracefully and quickly.
2. “Good gracious,” the choir director exclaimed. “Did the pastor heal you by faith?” “No, he just gave me a cane that was six inches longer!”
3. That’s what MAN can do, but tonight, I’m going to talk to you about what GOD can do!
B. TEXT & THESIS
1. It’s well known in psychology that our words can bring healing to our soul and minds. Maybe it’s because words can express affection and care, and thus mollify the pain the sufferer feels. It’s wonderful to feel loved!
2. The Bible describes this effect of words. “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing” Prov. 12:18. Isa. 50:4, “an instructed tongue...to know the word that sustains the weary.”
3. But God’s own words don’t just convey feelings, they carry power to alter/change the circumstances.
4. Tonight my message is about how God’s Word can bring physical healing. Ps. 107:20, “He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions” NKJV.
I. THE TURNING POINT: NO ESCAPE BUT GOD
A. EVERYTHING WAS GETTING WORSE UNTIL...
1. In Ps. 107, God outlines 4 scenarios which follow the same pattern. First, they got away from God. Next,
they got into trouble. Third, they got so desperate that they finally began crying out to God! The moment they involved God in their situation, things began to change for the better.
2. INVOLVING GOD IS THE KEY TO THE SUPERNATURAL. God can do more in 5 minutes than you can do in 5 years!
3. SOMETIMES BAD THINGS CAN TURN TO GREAT GOOD! If blind Bartimaeus hadn’t been blind – he might never have met Jesus and obtained eternal life. The same is true of many people here today – they were driven to Jesus by their difficulties!
4. THERE MUST BE A ‘TURNING POINT.’ It’s defined as “A point in time when an important change takes place which effects the future of the person.”
5. The catalyst for repentance & a changed life is often TROUBLE. Psalm 119:67, “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word,” and Ps. 119:71, “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.”
B. THE TURNING POINT
1. In Psalm 107, the people in the DESERT (vss. 4-9), in the PRISON (vss. 10-16), those suffering SICKNESS (17-22) and those endangered in SHIPS (vss. 23-30) finally got to where there was no place to look but God. When they reached rock-bottom. They had no place to look but up!
2. It was then that they cried out to God; God had their undivided attention. Miracles often don’t happen until we’re sick of our lives, our condition, our situation, our darkness and our despair. It’s when we cry out to Jesus that our help comes.
3. We’re talking tonight about truly WANTING divine healing. You have to want it!
C. THE POINT THROUGH HUMOR
1. Three guys were fishing when an angel appeared and asked if he could help them. The first guy said, “I’ve suffered from back pain for years. Can you help me?” The angel touched the man’s back, and he felt instant relief.
2. The second guy pointed to his thick glasses and said, “I’ve got really poor eyesight.” The angel took his glasses & tossed them into the lake: the man suddenly had 20/20 vision.
3. As the angel turned to the third man, he instantly recoiled and screamed, “Don’t touch me! I’m on disability!”
4. That’s why Jesus asked a man blind all his life, “What do you want me to do for you?” Mk. 10:36.
II. THE NATURE OF THE WORD
A. ALIVE/POWERFUL
1. John 6:63, “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” Heb. 4:12 says, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates...it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” The word translated “active” is energns, and means “full of power to achieve results.” It speeds to fulfill the purpose for which it was uttered.
2. It has a SELF-FULFILLING CHARACTER, “So is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Isa. 55:11.
3. IF BELIEVED, BRINGS TRANSFORMATION; James 1:21 (Amp.) “receive...the Word which...contains the power to save your souls.”
B. GOD ALSO PROMISES PHYSICAL HEALING
1. BECAUSE IT’S GOD’S NATURE TO HEAL
a. Exodus 15:26, "I am the Lord that heals you.”
b. Psalm 107:20, "He sent His Word and healed them, and delivered them from all their destructions."
c. Proverbs 4:20, 22, "My son, attend to my words; ...For they are life to those that find them, and health to all their flesh."
d. Luke 5:17, "... and the power of the Lord was present to healed the sick."
2. BECAUSE GOD HAS PROMISED US HEALING
a. Exodus 23:25, "And you shall serve the Lord your God, & He shall bless your bread and your water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of you."
b. Deuteronomy 7:15, "And the Lord will take away from you all sickness, and put none of the evil diseases of Egypt..."
c. Psalm 41:3, "The Lord will sustain him on his sick bed and restore him from his bed of illness."
d. Psalm 103:3, "Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases."
e. Mark 16:17-18, "And these signs shall follow them that believe... they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."
f. James 5:15-16, prayer of faith will save the sick.
3. JESUS ATONED FOR PHYSICAL HEALING
a. Isaiah 53:5, "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him and with His stripes, we are healed."
b. Matthew 8:16-17, “When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.” [Isa. 53:4] Matthew said that Jesus PHYSICALLY healing people was a fulfillment of Isaiah 53:4, the chapter on the ATONING work of Jesus.
4. So God is a healing God and He sent His Word as an agency to bring us healing. If we ask for healing and believe, He promises we may receive healing. Jesus many times ascribed people’s healing to their having faith (Luke 8:48; 17:19; 18:42 etc.). Do you have faith in God? He’s the same yesterday, today. & forever! Believe & receive!
C. THE WORD DEVELOPES FAITH
1. Rom. 10:17. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Heb. 11:1. The Amplified Version adds, “faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses.”
2. THE GREATER BENEFITS OF FAITH:
a. Gives divine vision to see past trials.
b. Unlocks the doors to God's power. God's power is activated by faith; "As is your faith, so be it unto you.” “Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes” Mk. 9:23.
c. Shields us from fiery darts. Ephesians 6:16.
d. Is our victory over the world. 1 John 5:4.
3. HOW DO WE GET FAITH? “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” Rom. 10:17. The Word of God inspires Faith, which opens the door to miracles.
4. NEVER FORGET THAT JESUS HEALED THEM ALL!
a. “…healing every disease and sickness among the people” Mt. 4:23.
b. “…healing every disease and sickness” Matt. 9:35.
c. “He healed all who were sick” Matt. 12:15.
d. “He…healed [all] their sick” Matt. 14:14.
e. “People brought all their sick to him…and all who touched it [cloak] were healed” Matt. 14:34-36.
f. “…power was coming from Him and healing them all,” Luke 6:17-19.
III. THE POINT OF CONTACT FOR FAITH
A. A MIRACLE MUST HAVE A MOMENT OF BEGINNING
1. Faith must be combined with action in order to result in the release of the miraculous.
2. A “point of contact” is a something you do to release your faith in God and claim the promises of God and focus your attention on God, and believe in that moment that you are receiving.
3. BIBLICAL "POINTS OF CONTACT" of faith
a. For the woman with the issue of blood, she believed the miracle would occur when she touched the hem of Jesus’ robe.
b. For the Centurion with the sick servant, it was the spoken word of Jesus.
c. Four New Testament believers, it was when hands were laid upon the sick. This would be the "point of contact" -- the point when they believed the miracle would occur.
B. WHAT DO YOU EXPECT?
1. HUMOR
a. 2 Guys went fishing. One fisherman was experienced, the other wasn't. Every time the experienced fisherman caught a big fish, he put it in the cooler.
b. When the inexperienced fisherman caught a big fish, he threw it back. Finally, the experienced fisherman asked, "Why do you keep throwing back all the big fish you catch?"
c. The inexperienced fisherman replied, "I only have a small frying pan."
d. Sometimes, like that fisherman, we throw back the big plans, big dreams, miracles, and big opportunities that God gives us. Our faith is too small.
e. If we’re like that fisherman what we really ought to do is get a bigger frying pan! What do you need to increase the size of your faith?
2. We have to give God an opportunity. You must do something with your faith. You must step out.
3. God says, "Now is the accepted time; now is the day/time of salvation." God's time is now!
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUS.: THE WAY OUT
1. The parents of James Bryant were alcoholics; at a young age he too became one. He got married and had a son. He tried to break free from alcohol with his own strength, but couldn’t.
2. He told a street preacher how hopeless and helpless he felt. The preacher gave him two scriptures; “When we were without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly”; “As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believed on His name.”
3. Jim said to himself, “If it’s true what this man says, then there’s a way out!” At home he knelt in prayer, repeating the texts. As the alcohol craving hit him at 3 o’clock in the morning, he went down to his knees; “O God! Deliver me from this curse. Give me the power to become a child of God!”
4. Jim said, “In that moment Christ broke the power of cancelled sin and He set the prisoner free. I rose from my knees, born again by God’s Holy Spirit!” [Walter Knight’s Master Book of New Illus., p. 709]
B. STAND FOR HEALING
1. Contend for the faith once delivered to the saints!
2. If you need healing, stand and come forward.
